Hotels typically buy sturdy, luxury furniture that will last through wear and tear. And whenever a hotel redecorates or shutters its doors, that can mean deals for you.

"I saw the value in liquidated items from hotels and I sort of thought it would be a great idea to offer them to the public, says Phil Winterton, president of Southwest Surplus, one of several hotel furniture liquidation companies across the country.

The selection at Southwest Surplus comes from hotels such as Westins and Marriotts, even extending beyond furniture to opulent chandeliers and state-of-the-art gym equipment.

"For quality pieces [from brands] like Drexel and Century and Baker and Henredon, if you go to buy retail you're going to spend thousands of dollars," says Phil. "Here you're spending 10 to 15 cents on the dollar."

Interior designer Sylvia Walker found a $2500 chair for $199, perfect for her client's budget. "It doesn't matter whether it needs to be reupholstered -- if the bones are good, if the lines are good, and the quality's there, it's going to always look good," Sylvia says.

For example, Henredon, one of the best-selling furniture brands in the United States, would charge $6800 for an armoire that Phil's now sells for $499.
"The prices are really great, and with a lot of these you're getting heirloom furniture that you want to pass down to your children, that they don't make anymore," says customer Cheryl Peterson.

Another perk is the ability to repurpose custom-designed hotel pieces for your personal needs. Andrea Files took a $50 cabinet built to store a mini-fridge, and turned it into her daughter's toy chest.

Instead of have pictures professionally matted framed, which can cost about $200, interior designers will purchase hotel art for from Southwest Surplus for $50 and switch out the scene behind the glass.

And not all of the goods are necessarily used -- most hotels have "attic stock," extra merchandise stored away in case a replacement is ever needed.

But if an item requires cleaning or repair, it's sold as is, with an extra-low price.